Apple’s deal to acquire F1 streaming rights in the United States is imminent and could be announced as soon as today, according to a new report from Puck’s John Ourand.
The report also details that F1 is “relinquishing control of F1 TV in the U.S.” as part of the deal, a key tidbit that was reportedly a sticking point throughout the negotiations between Apple and F1 parent company Liberty Media.
The report largely reiterates what Ourand initially said last week: Apple hopes to announce the deal in conjunction with F1’s U.S. Grand Prix, which takes place this weekend in Austin, Texas.
Apple is expected to pay $140 million for F1 rights, significantly more than the $90 million that current rights holder ESPN was paying. F1, of course, has seen a huge boon in U.S. popularity since that deal was inked.
The big question throughout the reporting on Apple’s talks with F1 has centered on F1 TV, which is F1’s direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service. F1 TV allows viewers to watch F1 races from multiple angles, merge different video feeds together, and is largely viewed as the “best” way to watch races. In last week’s report, Ourand said the outcome of the negotiations regarding F1 TV was still unclear.
In today’s report, however, Ourand seems more confident that Apple will get what it wants, saying “it looks like F1 is relinquishing control of F1 TV” in the United States.
“There’s still a question about whether the streamer will be ingested into Apple TV or simply go dark for U.S. customers,” he continues. “But it’s clear that F1 fans here will have to subscribe to Apple TV to get F1 TV.”
While this does indeed provide more clarity, there are still a lot of unknowns about what exactly “invested into Apple TV” might mean. Presumably, Apple will launch a separate, dedicated streaming service for F1, as it has done for MLS Season Pass, rather than roll it into Apple TV.
We’ll have to wait and see to know for sure. As Ourand says, an official announcement could happen as soon as today. What do you think of Apple’s plans for F1 rights in the US? Let us know down in the comments.
My favorite iPhone accessories:
- Anker Power Bank with built-in USB-C Cable
- Charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods at the same time
- Bring wireless CarPlay to any car
- USB-C cable with built-in screen
- The best earbuds for Apple users
Follow Chance: Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, and Mastodon.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments